INDCJournal: "Damage Control at Black Rock"

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January 12, 2005

"Damage Control at Black Rock"

Posted by Bill

My legal suspicions are buttressed by the WaTimes:

So the lawyers hired to independently investigate CBS have a lawyer/client relationship with CBS. Presumably, as a senior member of that firm, Independent Review Panel Member Richard Thornburgh also has CBS as a fiduciary client. Thus, unlike similarly named government independent investigations � this one is paid for by, and carried out on behalf of, the target of the investigation.

The foregoing is not meant to impugn the integrity of Mr. Thornburgh. He is a man of proven integrity. But it is meant to try to determine what his ethical obligations required of him. If CBS is his legal client, then he has an ethical obligation to represent CBS's best interests � and certainly to minimize any exposure CBS might have to legal liability for their conduct.
...
Thus, there was no headline this week stating that CBS admits documents were a fraud or caused by partisan bias. Instead, the headlines in papers as diverse as The New York Times, The Washington Times and The Washington Post were all the same: CBS fires 4. That headline was followed by the finding that CBS's journalistic standards had been deficient. As they say � that's old news.

The "greywash" is motivated by a law firm protecting its client from legal and political liability, plain and simple. This relationship is a conflict of interest that colors their conclusions, and indicates why the supporting evidence and summary don't match up.

Posted by Bill at January 12, 2005 03:13 PM | TrackBack (0)

Comments

I'm thinkin' Blackwash is better. Meant to hide that there was a problem at all.

Posted by: Sharp as a Marble at January 12, 2005 03:17 PM

You can't fire four people and then say there is no problem. The term gray wash is an apt one. Mary Mapes et al were sacrifices in an attempt to save Gunga Dan and Andy Heyward. Will it work?

David

Posted by: David at January 12, 2005 06:02 PM

They can fire four people then say "OK, problem handled. No more problem here."

Posted by: Robert Crawford at January 12, 2005 06:25 PM

Bill:

Tony Blankley may be on to something, then again he may not be - it depends on the terms of CBS's engagement with Thornburgh and any limitations that placed on his investigation.

Perhaps it's time to ask for CBS to release the engagement letter?

Steve

More at thoughtsonline

Posted by: steve sturm at January 13, 2005 12:48 PM

What, pray tell, did everyone think the "paid for by cBS" report was going to say? Huh? ....Hello, Hello....

"Independent Review Panel Member Richard Thornburgh also has CBS as a fiduciary client."

INDEPENDENT REVIEW???????? Riiiiiiight!! ....and the Pope is Jewish, too. I really can't believe just how nieve some people are. Let me say it slowly......IT WAS GOING TO BE A WHITEWASH FROM THE VERY START!

What attorney is going to intentionally put his client in legal jeopardy?.....one who wants to be dis-bared, of course. Indeed.

Posted by: Vulgorilla at January 15, 2005 07:56 AM